Step 6: Assemble the bucket!

Step 7: Planting

Use your favorite potting mix, compost, plants, seedlings, etc., and put it all together! This part is really up to you, but I would encourage you to ...

Joining many other excellent earthbox instructables, meet ours, the Dearthbox! The Dearthbox costs about $13-16 per box, and can grow up to three plants, depending on the type of plant. At our house in CA, we've been testing these out for the last month or so. Our tomatoes are thriving and it's a relief to know our plants aren't parched in the afternoon heat.

Even if you've already planted stuff, you could still transplant to the Dearthbox and save some water this summer.

This instructable shows you the materials we used, the steps we followed, and how to plant a fairly big plant, as well as how to plant seedlings.

Step 1: Gather your materials

If you already own most of the cutting tools and the drill, this instructable costs about $13-15. We got everything at Home Depot, but you can find similar stuff at any hardware store.

Materials pictured:

2 big paint buckets that stack (~5 gallons each)1 lid1 plastic tub OR drain grate (The height of the tub/drain grate should be approximately the same height as the gap between the two buckets when stacked)1 2' long 1" diameter plastic pipe (make sure it is longer than the height of the buckets when stacked)*1 mesh baggie (find them as packaging for fruit, veggies, other stuff!)

*I've read different things about using PVC after making this first version, which does use PVC. This project is made entirely of plastic, so if plastics in general bother you, you probably should not make this. If PVC specifically bothers you, it's easy to find other plastic pipes that will work, just poke around the garden supply store. Also, Greenpeace has a big database of alternatives. What do you think about PVC? What alternatives have you discovered?

If you have any old pantyhose with runs, etc. you can use small sections to hold your fertilizer. Knot one end, pour in your solid fertilizer, trim and knot the other end. The fertilizer sack should be on the topmost layer of dirt in a trough. When the growing season is over, you can throw this away and start a new one. I live near Ellenton FL where the earth box was invented. They have a 1 acre farm of earth boxes. Some of the earth boxes have been using the same potting mix for 14 years.

Luckily for me I had everything except the 4 inch drain grate. I whipped one of these SWC and will be planting tomatoes since it is about that time. I'm probably going to create a few more as this took a little less than 20 mins. Plus their easy to move about.

i found a small diameter rod and heated it up with my torch. push the hot metal through the plastic and bam. holes in seconds. the hotter you make it the more holes you can do before reheating is needed.

Thanks so much! I live in southern CA and think this will definitely help some of my veggies thrive longer. Can you, or someone, clarify why the pipe needs to be cut at an angle? It said to let the water come out, but won't gravity take care of that??? *confuzzled*

Gravity does take care of it, yes. The point of the angled cut is to allow gravity to work faster. Think of it this way: if the pipe is cut flat, 90 degrees to its length, and the flat end rests directly on the bottom of the container, there is really very little clearance for the water to actually flow from the pipe, into the container. This means the water can only flow out at a low rate, much less than the flow rate from the hose.

Now consider a 45 degree angle cut. Only the tip of the "point" is resting directly on the bottom of the container. The "open" portion of the cut allows fast , direct movement of water from the pipe into the container. Instead of the miniscule clearance provided by the 90 degree cut, there is now a wide-open space for the water to flow.

For the bootleg people like me, you can heat a phillips screwdriver on a stove (that's on, obviously, lol), and then stab holes into the plastic. I anticipate using a flathead to make a larger circle, and just stab around the circumference. Worked like a charm when I recycled some kitty litter tubs into planters. Unfortunately I used both as planters, but I might buy two more just for the opportunity to convert to self watering tubs!

Another good thing to use instead of the mesh from the garlic is a paint strainer bag from a hardware store. They are only around a buck each have a finer mesh so I think less soil will be able to get through. The small paint strainer is about the size of a small can of paint. My girlfriend and I have been using the 5 gallon size to cover our basil as we've had an onslaught of leafminers. Obviously the 5 gallon size is a little more expensive but only by about a buck more. Great work on this btw. Much mahalo for this instructable

cool, thanks! I like the drainage stopper thingie on those. I've seen the basic version of this thing in many different contexts. Here on instructables, there are a bunch of similar containers that use bigger tubs, like the "earthtainer." We decided to use these buckets because they're smaller and easier to move around. And then after making the bucket version and publishing the instructable, we read about almost exactly the same process in the book _Urban Homestead_, which would have been in development years ago.

So, it seems to be a trend. Thanks for adding this link to the comments!

I'm not sure if you have a question about drainage holes, or? There have to be some holes in the outer bucket so that the water in the bottom doesn't become stagnant, and so that you know when you've filled it up. If something doesn't make sense in the directions, let me know! Would like to clarify.

this is amazing. I'm a first time gardener and had all-around success with green beans, peas, chives, peppers, and carrots. I stopped watering these a few months ago and was just explaining how they work to my neighbor and I pulled out a carrot the size of a wine bottle.

thanks for all your comments! I'm excited to hear that your plants are doing well. Re growing tomatoes, I read in Urban Homestead that using 'box' variety tomatoes works best, as tomato plants have extensive root systems and can suffer from being contained too closely. That said, we didn't know that when we planted our tomatoes, and they have done very well.

Great idea. I gave it a try and planted a cotton plant in it. I also planted another cotton plant in a regular pot directly next to it as a control. The bucket lagged behind for about a week or two then surpassed the regular planted cotton plant. Awesome results - Can't wait to make another. Thanks again.

==========Another way to protect your recycled plastic buckets from UV exposure is to paint them (outside only). Unfortunately, you may have to use a good oil-base floor enamel to find something that will STICK to the plastic (latex paint peels off way too easy). This concern about the UV breaking the plastic down is actually how I got started building my containers from wood and lining them with black plastic.==========You could also build a round (or square) box to enclose the bucket and shade it from the sun . . . looks better too. We use this approach to build outdoor ashtrays for our commercial buildings and simply fill the buckets mostly full with sand.==========sail4free==========

==========I agree with Mr. Beefhead -- potting MIX (not soil) works best. If you're inclined to make your own, it's about 40% peat moss, 20% perlite, and 20% compost. Some tomato growers (like Ray Newstead) think it runs a little wet; feel free to experiment. I use the 2.5 cubic foot bags of Miracle Gro = h-e-a-v-y . . . bring a helper.==========Taking my cue from wicking boxes, I think we're wasting a lot of buckets (and time drilling holes) when ONE bucket will work just fine. I'll do an instructable on this and link to it soon. For now, you can scope out two wooden versions of "EarthTainers" which I built here:http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Build-Your-Own-Growing-Containers/

I love this! I grow tons of plants from cuttings and seeds in my backyard. Because I grow so many plants, I try to be very frugal when it comes to the containers I use, such as using small plastic trash cans from the 99 cent stores and empty plastic laundry soap buckets. The downside of this I have learned is that plastic containers not made specifically to be left out in the sun will become sun rot, get very brittle and will disintegrate. To keep this from happening you have to block the sunlight from getting to the plastic. Such as wrapping the bucket with foil.

I am experimenting with this method this year. Next season, if all goes well, I will employ enough self-watering buckets for a full crop of tomatoes, peppers or other fruits or vegetables. I think I can get a few used 5 gallon buckets from a fast food place.

I am using information posted on the Global Buckets website as a guide also. There is more information on growing media and watering systems for a rooftop garden. All of your visitors can get a lot out of these self-watering buckets. I'll post photos of my results on my profile later on.

In my Arizona household, we have 2 disabled adults (out of 3) and 10 ferrets (yes, ten!). We've wanted to grow tomatoes and potatoes indoors but have been seeking a way/place to grow them safely, so the ferrets cannot reach the nightshade leaves (poisonous!). This is the first Instructable I've seen which might meet all the qualifications our household requires (we're demanding, I know!). Thank you for sharing this one. I'll report back if we actually get these up and running! Anne.

One thing to keep in mind, which I learned from the amazing Urban Homestead book I mention at the end, is that tomatoes have HUGE root systems. You should look for varieties designed to be grown in containers. I think they are called box tomatoes.